Tried to give it the benefit of the doubt but this is pretty bad. Not even comparing it to the fantastic HD version, this is easily Dimps least inspired outing with the series so far. Outside of the fact that they brought back almost all different levels (including a Rush level which was neat) the actual design of them is so boring. Hold right/boost to win at its worst, very little going on outside of the occasional homing attack chain and dodging spikes as you listen [at best] mediocre remixes. Just feels like they were running out of steam at this point. Bosses suck too but that’s kinda to be expected, they just take way too long now compared to a lot of their past games.

Also I don’t mean to sound like cinemasins here but two cardinal rules were broken that seriously confuse me: classic Sonic has a homing attack, and modern Sonic is all 2D. It’s baffling to me why these were done because it just closes the gap between the two play styles so much that it actually feels like you’re playing each level twice. Just one character has a spin dash and the other has a boost. Lame.

It’s kinda just a dumbed down version of Sonic Rush, which I guess fits since the Wii game is a dumbed down version of Unleashed.

Not really a fan of the base game in general so I was hoping this would be more up my alley considering that I like rush gameplay a lot. It’s almost good but is honestly just held back too much by just being so short and easy. Not a lot of flavor outside of a few additional mechanics (homing attack, stomp, and wisps).

For as bullshit as the previous two games could get (especially Rush 1) they were very memorable unlike here where I can barely think back to any interesting design choices. And man, at least the Wii game has genuinely great presentation and music. This is just about as average as you can get.

The wisps were more fun to control in this game though so I’ll give it that.

I tend think often about my stance on videogames as a medium of entertainment and the role it has as an artform. "Are videogames art?" The obvious answer is yes but that answer becomes less satisfactory the more I think about it.

Games weren't given the same luxury as other artforms (i.e. books, movies, music, etc.) as they were commodified and commercialized the moment they were opened up to the public. Not to diminish the immense work put into birthing and solidifying the medium, but the core design philosophy behind any early arcade title was to hook the player into giving up more cash. Things changed at the advent of dedicated console/PC gaming, allowing for more complete experiences driven by cohesive technical/artistic visions. And yet, those early years put the medium into a box that both uneducated spectators and hardcore participants refuse to let go of. It's a toy, designed to be "fun" first and foremost. And if the game isn't fun, then why bother?

Shenmue is not what I'd call a "fun" game. I enjoyed the brief moments of excitement when handling combat encounters and was thoroughly engaged with finding clues to progress the story, but most of that is supplementary to the rest of the game. Living out day to day as Ryo Hazuki.

I found myself compelled to talk to most everyone I saw, regardless of whether or not they had any meaningful information. I got caught up in their lives and wanted to see if I could make any positive impact on their day. Whenever there was time to kill I would find myself at the arcade working to get through all the tracks in Hang On or trying to win the jackpot at the casino (before realizing that I couldn't earn money there). Once I got a job I made sure to hit my quota everyday and be an honest worker, as well as honing my forklift driving skills in the morning races. And I always made sure to get home on time, even when it would interrupt whatever I was doing. I got bored at times, confused at others, and even started to rush through the story by the end; but when I think my time spent with this game those are what come to mind.

This is the kind of game that opens my eyes to the possibilities of videogames as art. An interactive method by which the audience can experience an artist's vision firsthand, any and all barriers completely shattered. This isn't an exception, and no game has to emulate this in order to be considered art; but this is a clear example that the notion of "fun first" should be abandoned by players just like it has been by many developers for years.

It may not exactly be fun, but God is it fulfilling.

The fact that this team had gone from only really making the Lethal League games to this is a crowning feat. A fully-realized open-area action game focused on fluid mobility and style is something that even AAA studios have trouble nailing. And these guys did it confidently.

This feels like a game from a bygone era. A truly complete, artistic vision that works to its strengths and always keeps a steady pace. It really is special, and it makes me just want a sequel where they iron out some of the more awkward elements (i.e. the wanted system and combat) and really go crazy with the level design possible in this kind of game.

It deserves to stand on its own because it really is just that good.

Got a lot of charm and whimsy as well as easily the best post-game of any 3D Mario (despite there being way too many moons for me to finish it all right now), but man this did not hold up like I thought it would. Ultimately feels like a regular linear Mario affair where you go from world to world before beating Bowser, except this time the areas are open-ended. Doesn't feel as cohesive as the other collect-a-thon games, nor does it have the pacing of something like 3D World. Still a lot of fun to mess around in at least.

I've owned this one for nearly 10 years at this point and I remember trying it out a while back but got immediately confused by the combat system and turned it off. Went back to it now because I still see people talk about this in high regard, so I made the effort to meet the game on its level and learn its mechanics as best as I could. And I'm glad I did because this was great.

I love a lot of what it's doing character/story-wise even if it starts off a bit too simple as well as never really catching me off-guard. But neither of those are actual problems, the writing is genuinely solid and it speaks to that strength that I made sure to watch every side conversation I could.

I'm happy to have played something like this because my only real jrpg experiences are with Xenoblade and FromSoft games. Other than that there's Mario rpgs and Pokemon (which I usually keep in their own category), and a slew of abandoned playthroughs of older turn-based games. Tales felt like a great way for me to delve deeper into the genre without being totally blindsided, especially since it's real-time action. Really enjoyed it.

Pretty funny the reputation this game and its rabid fans have considering it's ultimately just a decent starter jrpg. Got some neat mechanics and by the time I was hitting the game's most challenging fights I was having fun, but man the combat system in general is really sluggish. Easily the game's weakest aspect, thank God it's saved by the fact that everything else about it is very charming to where I can look past it.

If there's anything I'd like for the remake to do (because as of right now I couldn't care less), it'd be to either overhaul the battle system significantly or just add in a hard mode of some kind.